Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 264



Only Noblemtl

Episode 264: The Last Half

The Premier League has never been idle, but lately it has been particularly hectic.

‘If I keep doing this, I’m going to break my wrist again.’

Normally, no matter how busy I am, there would be a gap of about 4 to 5 days after a game, but that wasn’t the case starting in May.

There was a game after a game.

Recovery training?

Tactical training?

It’s a tight schedule to do such grand things all at once… .

Anyway, I joined when it was the busiest, so I shook my head while looking at the schedule, but I also cheered myself on.

The next match was an international competition.

Europa League semifinals.

The match against AS Roma.

‘Why does it seem like I only ever play against second-rate teams?’

The round of 16 was Marseille, the quarterfinals were Benfica, the semifinals were AS Roma, and I don’t know who will advance from the other port, but if they advance to the finals, their opponents will be Hannover or Sevilla.

Compared to the Champions, why are the name values ​​all the same… … Ahem.

‘No. Let’s think positively.’

It’s a good thing we only face relatively weak teams.

Doesn’t that mean you have good luck with the draw?

In any tournament, luck plays a 50% role in the draw.

Manchester United flew straight to prepare for the first leg of their semi-final against AS Roma… .

* * *

The trip to Rome was a re-introduction of the FA Cup tie against Chelsea.

That means it wasn’t difficult.

Perhaps because Italy is famous for catenaccio, the opponent played very defensively.

Thanks to this, I was able to move around the field freely and actively participate in the build-up without any risk.

“Kim!”

Give it to the left.

“Make yourself comfortable!”

Try giving it to the right too.

“Take it back!”

I also tried stabbing deeply forward.

However, the opponent did not react much and just cowered, waiting for an opportunity.

‘I was really scared.’

If a turtle is hiding inside its shell and not doing anything, you need to turn it over.

I started bombing in earnest.

Once the ball came to me, I would hit it deep into the gap in front. Soccer is like a living organism that moves organically, so it is impossible to stay focused for 90 minutes.

At some point, there is bound to be a gap, and the frequency of those gaps occurring is particularly high when the opposing goalkeeper gets the ball.

Why?

When the last player holds the ball, people psychologically judge that the current situation is safe.

I continued to make it difficult for the other person to rest comfortably by countering that psychology.

By continuously making the opponent tense, he increased psychological fatigue and intended to cause him to make mistakes.

As I kept trying like that, there came a moment when my intention was accepted.

‘The thread of the gap!’

Boohoo!

He added a quick and accurate kick to my already accurate long ball. Then, a long ball that was literally measured with a ruler, like something only legendary midfielders would show, popped out.

Kim Jun-young caught it with his chest and then hit it with his instep. With just that one action, he was able to push away a defender.

‘Oh. That’s like….’

Park Ji-Sung’s goal scene against Portugal in 2002?

I didn’t see it intuitively, but I know because I saw the highlights.

Receive with the instep, beat the defender, and shoot with the other foot.

The only difference from then is that it’s not so much a side view.

Other than that, everything else was the same, and just like Park Ji-sung, Kim Jun-young also made his shot.

It was a goal.

“good.”

I guess I can’t do this sitting down and holding my breath anymore?

When the opponent came out aggressively, it was burdensome for me, but if it led to a situation where I could score multiple points, it was actually good.

I’ve never felt pressured while playing, so I’d rather have a high score and have an easier time in the second game.

.

.

And the opponent definitely showed different tactical moves.

If you light a fire in a rabbit hole, won’t the rabbits come out and hide?

Ah, hot! I jumped out in surprise, but the attacks I got out of that jump were all weak attacks.

Then… … it must be right?

Manchester United responded harshly to AS Roma’s attack, which did not seem like an attack, just like they do to other teams.

A slightly curved through ball from Bruno Fernandes.

The ball was passed to Kim Jun-young, who was running between two defenders, and he did not miss and scored a goal.

Even though one of the two got involved in a shoulder fight, Kim Jun-young held on and scored multiple goals.

‘My baby is tall!’

It seems like only yesterday that he was going to be a great striker at Suyang High School, but now he is playing the role of a full-fledged striker in one of the best teams in the world. I am truly moved and proud of him.

‘Well… … it wouldn’t have been possible in the first place without Football Manager, but that’s the same for me.’

Daehwangyu’s punishment did not end there.

If he knocked Roma down with one punch, he knocked him down with two punches, and then he took the mount and beat up the unconscious Roma… .

Beep— beep— beep!

[AS Roma 0 vs 4 Manchester United (4)]

A truly devastating score.

From Manchester United’s perspective, it was a long-awaited high-scoring game and ended on a warm note, but from Roma’s perspective, it was a terrible experience to be treated like a tourist attraction in front of all their home fans, so the atmosphere was not good.

It’s not that it’s bad―

“Brutto pezzo di merda!”

I don’t know what he was saying, but it was clear that he was indignant.

And we went straight back to Manchester to prepare for the league.

A home match against Nottingham.

For me, it was the league return match, and for Manchester United, every point is precious, so it was a very important match.

Of course, the fans wanted an overwhelming victory against the opponent, and I did my part to live up to the fans’ expectations.

“Where!”

To block outrageous attempts.

When I was out injured, the teams that played against Manchester United attacked and pressured them as if they were being chased by something, but when I came back and guarded the goal, Nottingham played differently.

Although they made some aggressive attempts, they basically played the game with the intention of not conceding a goal.

At a time when securing three points was crucial, Giovanni trusted me and pushed the line up aggressively to start beating Nottingham.

It’s like watching a Manchester United game without me.

Whenever I saw him, he was always getting beaten up, so it was heartbreaking… .

However, they created more excuses with sloppy counterattacks and defenses… .

The Manchester United of that era no longer exists.

There is only Man U who beat the ball up without worrying about conceding a goal.

As Nottingham continued to try to attack, they began to falter like a team that was likely to be relegated.

Nottingham, who had been reeling, eventually gave up the first goal to Manchester United as everyone expected.

It was a build-up from the back.

With the pass being so precise, Nottingham gave up a shooting opportunity despite having 5-6 defenders.

Captain Bruno struck while surrounded by defenders and the shot went into the net with the goalkeeper unable to react.

A goal that went in with such ease that it was almost lethargic.

‘With this level of performance, we should have scored one more goal.’

The second half of the 40 minutes passed like that.

Garnazzo dribbles down the flank to kill time before passing to substitute McTominay.

McTominay plays a long pass to Diogo Dalot, who enters the side box with a switching play.

And then Dalot crossed.

It looked like that from afar.

However, the ball went a little further forward as if it was hit wrong, and the goalkeeper again did not react and allowed the shot.

It was a goal.

“…Wow. What is that? Is that going in?”

It was clearly a rain hit, but it became a goal.

They say that even a great general can’t win against a good captain… .

And Dalot, who raises both hands in celebration as if he had intended to do so. He has a secretly cute side.

Beep— beep— beep!

A little more time passed, and Nottingham was defeated without being able to create any significant variables.

The score is 2 to 0.

Giovanni, who finally won after five league games, clapped his hands in excitement and came over to me to give me a hug.

“Thank you for your hard work, Kim.”

“I didn’t do anything in particular, Director.”

“No. Just standing in front of the goal is enough to do your job.”

Then Giovanni cuts it off and says:

Then he adds a few words, seemingly embarrassed.

“Watch the players play. They are full of confidence. Your presence itself gives them psychological stability.”

“Yes, well, if that’s what you want.”

We caught Nottingham, but there was no faltering by Manchester City or Liverpool, as both teams were getting more organized as the league approached its final stages and were destroying their opponents.

‘There are now three games left in the league.’

Wolverhampton, Bournemouth and Manchester City.

It doesn’t look like it will be easy for all three teams.

There was no easy team in this league to begin with.

And, this is just a hunch, but I have a feeling that the league champion will be decided in the final round.

Because it’s always been like that since my debut.

Write.

* * *

After the match against Nottingham, it was time for another short training session.

However, since the score was quite high in the first game, Giovanni rested most of the starting members.

From the attackers to the goalkeepers, they are all second team. Or even first and a half team.

“““We’re United! you can keep the rest!”””

I crossed my arms on the bench, listening to the home fans’ enthusiastic cheers.

Already more than 20 minutes have passed in the first half, but neither team has made a single effective shot.

In some ways, Giovanni is managing the game smartly.

‘Since we’ve already widened the score, all we have to do is not concede a goal, right?’

Even if they lose by a narrow margin or draw, Manchester United will still be in the final.

That said, if Rome were to raise their line over their shoulders and attack, they could just counterattack in the back space. It was simple.

If they had done this against a team like Manchester City or Liverpool, they would have been beaten to the point where they would never get back up again, but they are their opponents anyway… .

As I was killing time on the bench, dazed like that, the first half ended before I knew it.

The score is still 0:0.

As we entered the locker room, the atmosphere was good. Everything was going according to the manager’s intention.

I listened to Giovanni’s rambling with one ear and let it go, thinking about the next game.

Three days later there was another game against Wolverhampton.

‘Heechun hyung’s form has improved a lot these days.’

There’s a joking description of him as ‘a man who can only be stopped by injuries’, and looking at his recent form, it’s hard to deny that.

Hwang Hee-cheon, who has not suffered a single injury this season, has already scored his 17th goal of the league.

Jun-young, who was given few chances at first, scored his 9th goal in the league. Considering his difficult position, it was a decent result.

If you include the EFL, Europa League and FA Cup, that’s double-digit attacking points.

Son Heung-min, who cannot be left out here, scored 19 goals despite his age.

When on earth will Son Heung-min’s prime end? As he got older and his attacking power on the flanks diminished, Son Heung-min, who moved to the top, is still at the peak of his skills with his unique finishing ability.

This year, South Korea’s attackers are blessed with a bumper crop of attack points… .

‘I think it would be better for the national team to have Hong Min-hyung play as the lone striker like he did at Tottenham, with Jun-young on the wing.’

Or you can hit the striker who is sagging below.

Wouldn’t that make you look more aggressive?

In fact, the reason Son Heung-min has not been able to show the same performance as he did at Tottenham Hotspur is not only because of the burden he has to do it himself, but also because the quality of the players around him has not been able to support him.

But not anymore.

Kim Jun-young is there, Hwang Hee-cheon is also in great form, and Lee Kang-im, who supports him, has world-class passing and space-creating abilities.

And my courier long pass that occasionally contributes to it.

‘There are more evaluation matches before the World Cup, so I’ll make a suggestion.’

Giovanni and Leon have been respecting my opinions lately.

After finishing those distracting thoughts, it was time to return to the field.

“It’s also nice to heat the bench… .”

Yeah. Sometimes, you have to have sweet days like this.

And did Junyoung, who was following me from behind, hear what I was saying?

“Huh? What did you say, brother?”

“huh?”

“How I wanted to run when I was on the bench….”

“Hey. Don’t you know? I used to just sit on the bench when I first started in Hanover.”

I remember vaguely.

I remember Kim Shin-ah asking me when I would be able to play and asking if I was really benching her…

*Benchmin (Bench + Kim Minwoo)

‘This guy is really going to get beat up if he goes to Korea.’

And then I went back to the bench and watched the game with my arms crossed.

The game was quite boring.

I yawned and closed my eyes for a moment to the point where I felt sleepy.

The match ended with a 0:0 score, confirming Manchester United’s advancement to the final, but there was something more talked about than the result of the match…

[Kim Shin-ah: (GIF)]

[Kim Shin-ah: What is this? LOL]

Kim Shin-ah immediately sent a GIF.

That was me yawning, and eventually, I was dozing off with my head down.

It just so happened that it was caught on camera and became a huge topic of conversation on the Internet.

[Kim Shin-ah: Is it true that Kim Min-woo is representing the feelings of those who watched the game?]

[Kim Min-woo: Um…]

[Kim Shin-ah: But I understand]

[Kim Shin-ah: It was really fucking boring]

[Kim Shin-ah: I went to watch YouTube after watching it]

[Kim Min-woo: I was so busy recently that I took a short nap]

[Kim Min-woo: I slept really well on the bench]

So, my sleeping and yawning images became a meme on the Internet for a while.

Luckily, no one on the team took issue with it. I contribute so much to this team, you know? It’s only natural.